a beast of a burden
by CrystalIceLover
Summary: Bad things happen to people. They happen to everyone around us and even to ourselves. But sometimes, they make you stronger.


**So, this is the first time I've ever wrote a one shot like this, so I hope it's alright.**

* * *

The subtle shaking of her fingers are the only signs that betray the redhead's mental and physical fatigue as she grips the metal bar in front of her, pausing long enough to regain her composure.

Ever since that horrible night, all her time has been split between this dance studio and St. Mungo's. She needs to become a better Healer. She isn't going to allow herself to fail someone else like that again. Yes, there wasn't anything she could've done. But that feeling of looking down at Death stealing someone loved from the world is one she can't stomach feeling anymore.

And this, _this_ was the only thing that could ever calm her down. When she'd been younger and just gotten into a fight with her spunkier sister, she'd rummage through old photographs of her mother at the Yule Ball and just sit back, enthralled, and watch her mother dance.

Inhaling deeply, Victoire adjusts her black leotard before moving her hands up to pull her hair out of its ponytail and retie it again, her sky blue eyes glued to the reflection in the mirror that covered the whole wall.

Teddy had always told her that - no. She wasn't going to think about him. Not now. It - it already hurt. Blinking hard, she swallows the lump already forming in her throat.

There was a reason she'd ran after his funeral. Running away was what she did best. When something bad happened, she ran. And it'd always been Teddy who chased after her. But he was done chasing. He was done doing anything these days. He was dead, and Victoire Gabrielle Weasley was to blame.

Just because it hadn't been her who'd attacked them in the middle of London, setting up anti-apparation wards around them and murdering the Minister for Magic and stranding them there, didn't mean it wasn't partly her fault. She was a Healer for Merlin's sake, and she still hadn't been able to save him.

Letting out a little growl to keep herself from breaking down, she turns away from the mirror, pulling herself up onto the tips of her toes as she began to go through a series of batteries, forcing her aching body through the jumps and turns.

When she'd appeared at Ms. Fonteyn's door, still dressed in her formal dark clothes, Victoire had been relieved not to be forced to ask any questions. She just hadn't wanted to be in her flat. Even though she'd destroyed everything that brought back painful memories of her ex-fiancé, just lying in her bed makes her think of the way his eyes and hair had automatically blued when he laid his eyes on her, the way he'd laughed at all her jokes as if she was Dominique or James, even the way his fingers caressed her skin and made her feel truly loved for the first time in her life.

And she'd failed him. Caught in the middle of a brisé, she missed the landing, crumpling to the ground in a little heap, and for the first time since Teddy had been murdered, Victoire allows herself to cry, memories and words swirling through her head.

/

"Teddy," she exclaimed, pulling her hand free to smack his chest softly as they continued down the London street at night, the only light guiding their way the streetlights and shoplights, giggling at the comically surprised expression on his face, "just because you're all high and mighty and important to the world now -"

"-it doesn't mean that the world revolves around me," he finished with a grin, leaning down to kiss her softly. "You've only mentioned it every day since my appointment. I know, Tory." he teased, bopping her on the nose.

"What can I say?" she shrugged, tossing her red hair over her shoulder as she skipped in front of him, eyes sparkling, "I only repeat what needs to be heard."

"You nutter," he shook his head amusedly, grinning at her as she moved back into step beside him, looping her arm through his.

"Love you too," Victoire muttered into his ear, eyes positively dancing before she rested her head on his shoulder, humming softly. Merlin, she loved just spending time with him. Grinning down at the ring around her finger, she sighed happily. This was just perfect. And it'd only get better, "Hey Teddy?" she asked softly, looking up at him, "There's something I have to-"

And then it all went to hell.

It all started with a commotion in front of them. The yells of the people ahead floating towards the happy couple, cutting her off. Exchanging curious glances, she decided to tell him later before they took off towards the ruckus. As they moved closer, a pair of large, burly men broke out of the crowd, their mismatched gazes zeroing in on one thing. Minister Ted Remus Lupin.

Suddenly wearing identical sneers, they advanced towards them, pulling out their wands from pockets and sleeves as they walked. The shorter one, the one with red hair, called out, "Oi Minister! Care for a little chat?"

"T - Teddy," Victoire glanced at him, her tone urgent and low as she began to slowly move backwards, pulling on Teddy's arm to tug him along with her, "who - who are these people?"

Slowly turning his head towards her, he let out a shaky breath, "I - I really don't want to stick around to find out." His voice trembling, he gave her a tiny little smile before glancing back at the men who continued towards them, roughly pushing people out of the way as they moved closer and closer.

Squeezing Teddy's arm, she relaxed her hand before pulling free. They'd planned for this. In case anyone had ever tried to attack them when they were together. Really, he'd drilled this in to the heads of any and everyone he'd ever met. But she'd never thought that she'd ever have to use it_. Don't worry about that now_, she thought with a shake of her head. _Just concentrate on the Burrow._

Turning on her heel, she tensed, anticipating the uncomfortable feeling associated with Apparation. But nothing happened. Fear seizing her, she opened her eyes, beginning to flit them around the street in panic.

"They - they must've -"

"Anti-Disapparation Jinx-"

"We - we should -"

"_Run_."

And they did just that. Giving the men one last fearful look, Victoire ran, Teddy on her heels._ If there's one good thing dancing does, it's that it keeps me in shape,_ she thought grimly, gritting her teeth as her feet pounded against the concrete.

Running down side streets and hopping fences and creating obstacles to block their path, the duo did everything they could to shake off their followers. They were being hunted. All they had to do was outsmart the hunters.

They just had to get out of the area of the jinx. Then they'd be home free, right? But as the deranged laughter of the men drew nearer and nearer, Victoire's fingers curled around the wand in her pocket. It looked more and more like this would come down to a showdown.

Finding themselves down a one way alley, they froze up. They were trapped. The men were close. Even though they'd currently lost them, they'd be back. For the last ten minutes, that's what they'd been doing. If they turned to go back, they'd spot them. And they couldn't just burst through the solid brick wall. They'd run into Muggle London now. There'd be questions involved. Trying and failing to apparate out of there, Teddy groaned, leaning against the wall, rubbing at his eyes. "Who are these people?"

"What do you think they want?" She whispered, nervously wringing her hands. "Because it can't be good, not if they've set up such a large anti-disapparation ward around London and are chasing us down like this."

"I don't know, Tory," he muttered miserably, shaking his head. "I - I really don't know." Looking up at her, his eyes were wide with unbridled fear. "But whatever they want, it's about me. I'm so sorry for dragging you into this."

Stepping towards him, Victoire took his hands in hers. "Teddy? You can't blame yourself for this. Wh - whatever happens -" she suddenly found herself on the verge of tears, choking back the sobs. "- every moment with you _has_ been worth it." Pressing a soft kiss to his lips that he returned before she pulled away, trying to memorize the way his face was now.

It was distinctively heart shaped, his famous blue hair darkened to a sombre black and pushed back, away from his face. His eyes were a dark brown, and despite the fear he didn't try to hide, they still sparkled. His lips pulled up into an imitation of a smile as he squeezed her hands before letting go to pull out his wand. "Still, if it wasn't for me, none of this would've happened." Shrugging slightly, he rubbed his eyes tiredly, sighing before allowing his appearance to change.

His hair curling and lengthening to his jawline, it lightened to a chestnut brown, his skin darkened to give him a deep tan. Eyes shifting to a grassy green, his height increased, beginning to push seven feet. His facial features elongated and shrinking, and by the time he had finished and began to refit his clothes, Victoire could barely recognize him.

Not for the first time, Victoire wished that it was Transfiguration, not Charms, which she'd always excelled in. Biting her lip, she ran her fingers through her red hair, nervously pacing, tapping her wand against her leg. Flicking her gaze towards Teddy, she paused in front of him. "You wouldn't mind -"

She never got to finish her sentence. Whirling around at the sound of approaching footsteps, she gripped her wand tightly, gaze steely. There was more of them now. The three men had found more friends, all dressed in identical black cloaks. The fight had went from two against three to two against seven. Moving to stand beside her, Teddy's green eyes darkened, his wand pointed towards the advancing group.

"Oh, how cute." One of them called out, her voice shrill and mocking, fiddling with the wand between her fingers, "They actually think they can get win."

Shivering, Victoire tensed, anticipating an attack any moment. This was actually happening. They - they could actually die. It didn't seem like they'd been chased down just for a friendly chat.

"Your Metamorphic abilities don't help you hide much, Minister. We can still tell it's you." Shaking his head, the man crossed his arms, his blue eyes glued to Victoire. "It's the same girl, after all."

If they'd only had a little bit more time, than that would've changed. They both would've been unrecognizable. Cursing under her breath, she bit the inside of her cheek, running through a list of spells to use on the mob of attackers.

Smirking, he took a step towards her, only to be blasted backwards by the redhead. The rest of the group glanced back at him before they turned back to the couple, expressions ranging from annoyance to anger and everything in between before advancing.

Wary expressions making note of every move that they made, the man Victoire recognized from earlier spoke out, his wand alternating from one face to the other. "You know, Minister, you and your Ministry have been a thorn in our side for much too long. It's time that you pay for that."

Before either of them could react, he slashed his wand through the air, tugging their wands out of their grip to be caught by another member of his group, leaving them defenceless. This wasn't going to end well. Not well at all. Gripping Teddy's sleeve with all her strength, her blue eyes widened, full of fear and dread. Pulling her gaze away from them to meet her fiancé's gaze, she mouthed the words 'I love you,' not trusting her voice to be able to say the words without breaking down.

Taking her hand, Teddy gave her a shaky smile, mouthing back, 'I love you too.'

The clipping of their footsteps on the pavement below echoed in her ears. In one move, this had went from an attack to a full on massacre. Stepping backwards, she pressed her back into the cold brick wall, eyes trained on the attackers as they bore down on the two of them.

"You know," The leader remarked, twirling his wand between his fingers haphazardly, smirking as he led the other six towards them. "I would've thought that the Minister would've put up more of a fight. I guess not." Shrugging, his expression suddenly darkened as his gaze flicked between the two of them as he stopped directly in front of them.

In that one moment of hesitation, Teddy took advantage of it. Tackling the man to the ground, he began attacking him, his fingernails changing to claws that he used to etch deep, long gashes across his face and throat.

Swallowing hard and looking away from the man on the ground, her stomach lurching, Victoire scanned the crowd before lunging at the closest one. Before she could reach him, he flicked his wand, freezing her in midair before taking her by the neck and tossing her back against the wall.

Hitting the brick blockade with a sickening crunch, she struggled to stay conscious, blinking as hard as she could to eliminate the stars that marred her vision. Letting out a little groan, she shook her head, squeezing her eyes closed, ignoring the echoey sounds around.

But then two words rang out. Two words that were deadly familiar and sent chills running down her spine. Two words that she'd prayed she'd never have to hear. But it'd been said and the deed done. Eyes flying open, she stared through the stars impeding her vision, black cloaks vanishing around her. But her focus was on only one person. The man who didn't move. The one who lay on the ground. Ted Remus Lupin.

"No," Victoire choked out, pulling herself up to her feet. Swaying dangerously, she scampered over to him, throwing herself on him, hands scrambling for the buttons on his shirt, ears listening for a heartbeat. _No._

_/  
_

"No." Victoire cries out as she comes back to the present, hugging her stomach as she pulls herself up into a sitting position, staring down at her ballet flats, fat teardrops rolling down her cheeks. They'd had the rest of their lives to be together. And that group had decided, because of their god damn hatred for the Ministry, to go around and murder the most powerful man in Wizarding Britain for no reason.

She'd been happy, hadn't she? But now she could barely remember what that felt like. To smile, to laugh, to know that everything was going great? That'd all been snuffed out by one spell. But the people around her, they try to show her what she'd lost. At least, their letters make it seem like they do.

_Everyone_ was sending the eldest Weasley letters of condolences and begging her to come back. Even people she hadn't spoken a word to since graduation were suddenly pouring out their hearts to her. And it only made her feel worse. She can try, she supposes, as she staggers up to her feet and into the room she called hers for now above the studio, pushing aside textbooks and copies of the Daily Prophet, eyes staring blankly at the letters left behind around before picking one up. She can try to at least pretend to be normal again, to go back to being the level-headed, charming girl everyone expects her to be.

Trying is all she can guarantee herself.

So slowly, she works up the nerve to reply to the letters. Though her handwriting is messy and sloppy and each letter is dotted from the tears she sheds, they get sent out. She gets the letters back almost instantly, and Victoire can't help but have a certain weight lifted off her shoulders. They understand. They understand why she needs to shut herself away in London and be here by herself. Though her mother would much rather have her near during this stage of her life (and her disproval is clear in her letter), she understood that she wanted to be alone.

But Abigael. . .her best friend wanted her back.

_I'm sorry, you know that? Because you went through hell. I know that. We know that. Everyone knows that because everyone knows what happened. But Vicks, you can't shut yourself up somewhere. Whatever's going through your head, whatever your feeling, you need to talk about it with someone. You can't take all those feelings and keep them inside._

_You're hurting inside. You have to be. You saw Teddy die, so life's not all peaches and rainbows. But if you came back, talked to someone, maybe that could change._

_Please Victoire, you can't run away from what's going through your head._

She wants to go back. But it's not easy. Being here, away from everyone else, it's weird, yes, mostly because throughout her childhood, she'd never really been alone, and now she was. But it's comforting, and she can focus on her Healer training.

The day she _does_ go back, the sky can't make up its mind about what it wants to do. It alternates from rain to snow and everything in between. But at least the weather allows her to hide her face from the world underneath her umbrella. Trudging through the frost-covered grass, her free hand in the pocket of the beige trench coat she'd been wearing on the night Teddy had died, she goes to visit him, her mouth dry.

His grave isn't the lavish memorial she'd expected. It was rather simple, really. Nothing more than a grey tombstone. Sitting on her knees in front of it, Victoire can't help but muse about how Teddy wouldn't have wanted anything more than this. He wouldn't have wanted something ridiculously extravagant. Shaking her head, she traces the words on it, tears pricking her eyes. _April 14__th__ 1998 - October 7__th__ 2026_.

"Teddy," she whispers, tears beginning to stream down her face, "I miss you. I really, _really_ do. I just – I want you to be here. I don't – I _can't_ do this by myself. I – I – I'm pregnant." Spitting out the word like it physically hurt her to say, she held herself close, rubbing her stomach absentmindedly. "I should've told you, and I was. I was going to tell you and then – then those bloody wankers came and took you away from everything." Choking back a sob, she pushed back her red hair, her eyes and nose slowly beginning to match it.

"I just – I love you. With every single fiber of my being. Teddy, I love you today just as much as I loved you yesterday, and last week and last month and last year. I'll always love you. It won't matter how long it's been since you've said anything to me, but I love you."

Finally succumbing to the sobs that shake her body, Victoire cries and cries and cries as the weather above solidifies to snow, dotting the ground around her with tiny little droplets

Eventually, when she does calm down enough to pull herself up to a standing position, she dusts herself off, rubbing the tears still trickling down her cheeks before apparating out of the graveyard and to Shell Cottage. She doesn't know what she expects to find there. It's the middle of the day in late November. Her parents are at work, Louis at school and Dominique doing whatever Dominique _did_ all day. But the house she'd grown up in would be nothing short of comforting, so she slips herself into the house and up to the stairs to the room that she'd spent her childhood living in. Of course, it doesn't look the same as it did when she was twelve, but still, Victoire finds it a small comfort as she digs herself under the covers, curling up into a tiny little ball and just lying there until someone comes home.

Somehow, she manages to fall asleep, and her dreams are of a child. She dreams of a young girl, and as soon as she lays eyes on her, she knows she's hers. Her black curls frame her pretty face and her eyes a bright blue, identical to her own. She's grinning up at Victoire, her arms stretched up towards her. She's perfect, so full of life and adorable. And even though it's nothing more than a dream, it sticks in the twenty-six year old's head.

When she opens her eyes and blinks around her room at Shell Cottage, the sky is dark, only the stars illuminating her view outside the window. The sounds of her parents moving around their house and laughing bring a little smile to her face but the pang of her heart brings her thoughts careening back to Teddy and everything they'd had and wouldn't anymore. Hugging herself tightly, she shakes the thoughts away for a moment before heading towards her parents.

They're happy to see her. No, they're over the moon to see her. Of course they are. Why wouldn't they be? She'd disappeared for weeks with barely a trace. If they hadn't been happy to see her, then there'd be a problem. They hug her and tell her how much they love her and beg her to never disappear again.

And she promises. A part of her is sick of it. Sick of all the running and hiding. She needs to - she needs to grow up. She's pregnant for crying out loud. She needs to actually be able to deal with her problems now, not run away from them like she's done forever.

Stepping into her flat for the first time in weeks, her eyes scan the mess she'd left. Ripped photographs and wedding dress designs are scattered all across the floor. There's hardly a spot that isn't covered by a scrap of paper and she hardly knows where to put her feet. Her breath catching, she slips to her knees, staring around, hands groping before they finally find what they're looking for. Her engagement ring. Staring down at the constantly changing stone, she bites on her bottom lip and suddenly, Victoire has this desperate, nagging _need_ to see Teddy again. Not to visit his grave, but to see him as he was before he died. Because now, every time the Weasley closes her eyes and imagines him, his eyes are empty and only reflect the scared, traumatized image of herself. Letting out a little whimper, she pulls out her wand and digs through the chaos she calls home, hell bent on returning every single moving photograph to its former glory.

When her parents show up at her door two days later, Victoire is still spread out on her floor. She hasn't slept, and has only moved to eat since she got there. Every time one of the destroyed photographs begins to look less a shredded mess and an actual photo, she rubs her belly and murmurs to her child the story behind it. Flicking her gaze up to her parents, who look so out of place in her messy flat, she pulls herself up into a sitting position, letting her wand slip between her fingers to fall against the wooden floor. Waving, she smiles up at them, momentarily wondering if she looks insane, sitting here in all of this paper. "I'm just fixing all of this."

"What happened?" Her father asks, taking cautious steps inside as he assesses the damage, her mother behind him.

"I sort of ripped everything apart," Victoire says sheepishly. Her parents only shake their heads at her, amusement shining in their eyes. Pulling their wands out, they both raise an eyebrow and Victoire is momentarily stunned by how in sync they are. Did that show you were truly in love with someone? Being in sync? Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she gives them a thankful smile and the three of them get to work fixing the flat.

/

As the weeks pass and her stomach grows and her little flat is filled with stuff for her baby - daughter, she's sure of it now - she slowly, but surely begins to heal. She doesn't feel like breaking down in a sobbing mess every time she thinks of Teddy or hears his name. It still hurts, but not as much anymore. She feels better than she has in months, at least mentally. Her head is almost always pounding from a headache and the cramps that she's been assured are normal hurt.

Hushed voices are never a good sign. She knows that. She works here for Merlin's sake. But as Victoire picks at loose threads on her robes and gnaws on the inside of her cheek, she can't help but hope that it's good news. Crossing her legs and rubbing her stomach, she glances around the currently empty hospital room, desperately trying to pick out words in the conversation outside.

As the door finally creaks open and she looks around, the people who walk in confirm her suspicions. If something wasn't wrong, there'd be no need for her mother to be here and looking so sad.

Brow creasing slightly, Victoire stares at her mother as she takes a seat beside her before flicking her questioning blue eyes to the Healer. What was going on?

She tried her best, Victoire supposes as she dangles her feet off the edge of the cliff at Shell Cottage, taking deep calming breaths.

With her warm tone, and her mother's arms around her and the repeating throwing around of the words 'extraneous circumstances' and 'not your fault', it was an impressive effort. But it didn't change what had happened. Victoire had been pregnant and wasn't anymore.

As she stares over the water, she thinks she understands Lucy. At least, a little more than anyone else seems to. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she thinks of her cousin who will forever be sixteen. Her suicide had been so unexpected and had blindsided the entire family. But Victoire thinks that she at least understands the emotions behind why she'd decided to kill herself. The emptiness, the dullness and the hopelessness. Ever since that hospital appointment, she'd fallen back into those same emotions. Now, she could barely look at a happy couple with a child and not think about how that could have been her and Teddy if life hadn't ruined it all.

At the sound of footsteps behind her, she turns around, raising a hand in greeting to Roxanne as she sat down beside her. "How're you feeling?" her cousin asks, placing a comforting hand on her arm.

"I've been better."

Patting her arm softly, Roxanne gave her a sombre little smile as Victoire rested her head on her younger cousin's shoulder. "We've been through a lot, haven't we?" At Victoire's curious gaze, Roxanne continues. "As a family. We're a pretty crazy bunch."

"Yeah, I just wish that they were happy things, not things like - like this." Suddenly choking back tears, Victoire stares at the dark haired girl, a million words bubbling behind her blue eyes.

"It'll get better, Vics. Just believe it will." Taking Victoire's hand, she squeezed it, pulling her away from the edge as she did, pulling her into a hug. "It'll get better. Say it with me c'mon."

"But it won't! There has to be something wrong with me. All these terrible things are happening and I can't do a single thing to stop it. I want to believe that everything's going to work out in the end, Roxy, I do. But I can't. I just _can't_." She breaks down here. Her voice disappears and she begins to sob uncontrollably into her younger cousin's arms. But oddly, she finds that telling Roxanne about the feelings going through her head comforting. Because when she calms down with a hiccup, she finds that she feels better.

Not as good as she felt in the past, but reasonably alright. And that's all she can hope for.

/

Ever since the Healers told Victoire about her miscarriage, she's been dreading showing up to work. The corridors of St. Mungo's have never been a nice place to be, but now she no longer sees it as a place where people get better and where life begins. She only sees pain and death and desperation and tears. So the news that the group who murdered Teddy had been apprehended by Aurors is very welcome. It gives her a reason not to show up for that day, even if she can't actually get into the courtrooms themselves.

Pacing back and forth in front of the courtrooms, she fiddles with the ring on her finger, turning it around and around, yet never looking at it. Her eyes are glued to the faces of people who seem, though stressed and tired, to enjoy their own work. Did she look like that? Snorting, she hugged herself. Knowing the answer, she let out a little sigh that quickly becomes a yawn. The dreams of a daughter had quickly become nightmares, and now every time she closed her eyes to sleep, she's plagued by images she would never witness awake.

Some of the people entering the courtroom recognize the Weasley and offer her smiles or waves. The action is always returned, though slightly robotically. None of them knew her for who she was. They either knew her because of her family, or because they recognized her as the fiancée of the late Minister. She was never Victoire Weasley to these people. To them, she probably didn't even have a name.

As the stream of entrants slowed to a crawl, Victoire made her way up to the Atrium. She didn't want to stick around to see the accused. Her memories and nightmares were enough to last a lifetime.

With a sigh, she sits by the edge of the restored fountain, staring at her reflection for a brief moment before dipping her fingers into the water, distorting the image. As her fingers swirled around the water, so did her thoughts in her head as she gnawed on the inside of her cheek. Did she want to quit? Was that it? Had she just wasted the last ten years of her life doing something she didn't want to do?

_You can always do anything, Toire. _Her father's voice - or at least, the memory of his words - said. _Just as long as you put your mind to it._

She couldn't just make such a life-altering decision by herself. She needed guidance and someone to talk to. Biting her lip, Victoire stares back down at her reflection, mentally running through lists of people to talk to before settling on one. Abigael Finnigan. She _was_ her best friend after all, even if the two barely saw each other these days.

Nodding slightly, she reaches into her pockets, rummaging through them before pulling out a few Galleons and then dropping them, watching them distort the peaceful water.

Even though it's almost noon and Abby should be at work and not at home, it's the little flat in Liverpool that Victoire heads to. And, much to her surprise and relief, the curly haired girl is home, singing along to the Wireless as she swings her hips to the music.

Knocking on the door, Victoire watches amusedly as Abby freezes as if caught in a terrible act before grinning up at Victoire and leaping to wrap her arms around her so tightly that she can hardly breathe.

"I've missed you so - too much. I can't believe you're here!" Letting out a little whoop, Abby drags the former Ravenclaw into her flat, closing the door behind her as she steers her to the couch. "It's good to have you back." she says after a moment, expression softening as she brushes flyaway blonde hair out of her face. "I heard about what happened, how you lost your baby. I'm so sorry." Her brown eyes are wide and full of compassion as she flops down beside her friend.

"Yeah," Victoire says softly. "I am too." With a shake of her head, she clasps her hands together on her lap, staring at them for a long moment before beginning slowly. "I don't know if I want to be a Healer anymore."

Blinking hard, Abby frowns slightly, already beginning to tilt her head. "Okay. If you don't like your job anymore, just quit."

But it isn't that simple. She can't just decide these things at a drop of a hat. That was why she was here in the first place. To talk this over with someone. "But - but - I don't know what it is I want to do."

"Dance?" Abby offers with a shrug. "You've always been stellar at that. Make a career out of it."

"I - I don't know." Victoire muttered miserably, shaking her head. She loved dancing, that was true, but to spend her whole life doing it? She didn't love it that much. "I still want to be able to help people

That's always been something important to me."

"Auror then?"

Pulling her knees up to her chest, Victoire shrugs again. Watching her friend for a moment, Abby tugged on her hand. "C'mon, you're down. You need to be cheered up. We're buying cookies."

Shaking her head at Abby, Victoire goes with her anyway. Spending time with her friend, she decides, is exactly what she needed. She forgets that she doesn't like her job anymore. She forgets about Teddy's death (though the announcement that each member of the group that had murdered him, who call themselves the Knights of Chaos, had all been sentenced to life in Azkaban brought the memories back full force, along with tears of happiness), and forgets about her miscarriage. For just a few hours, she feels like the old Victoire Weasley again.

A week later, she quits. All the Healers are shocked, but understanding, patting her and telling her that not everyone's cut out to do their job. She's not going back to Hogwarts. That, at least, she's decided on. So the only options are choosing a new occupation where her NEWTS from school would be transferrable. She could become an Auror if she wanted. As amazing and cool as that job would be, she shows away from it. Something like that would be nice, but she'd prefer something much less dangerous.

And then, she finds it. The Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. The more and more she reads about it, the more and more she loves the idea of apprehending criminals. Maybe, just maybe this need to catch them is because of the Knights of Chaos, but a part of her has always wanted to do this.

And it isn't long before she finds herself back in the Ministry, CV in hand, on the way to talk to the Department Head. She doesn't expect to land the job, not at all. There were people younger, who'd be much better qualified. But somehow (and she highly suspects that Uncles Ron, Harry and Percy and Aunts Hermione and Audrey had something to do with it), she lands the job.

She almost squeezes Dominique to death when she finds out, and is gone in a flash to jump up and down and tell Abby that she got the job. Being on the patrol is a thousand times more exhilarating than she expected, and she almost finds what she does fun. And even though some days are busy and hectic, she still finds the time to spend with her friends that she'd ignored for too long, and her family.

/

Sometimes, Victoire surprises herself.

She's done a lot of growing up. She no longer runs away from all her problems like she's always done. But there's one thing she hasn't been able to do.

Move on.

She still loves Teddy to no end. Aimlessly wandering around the dance studio, she watches the dancers around her, twisting the ring around her finger as she gnaws the inside of her cheek, ignoring the subtle shaking of her hands. It's been almost a year now, and it still hurts. But she knows that one day, sooner or later, she'll meet someone (or maybe she already has?) who can fix the hole in her heart that Teddy left.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! And please don't favourite without a review.**


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